Dive Summary:
- Both the CDC and FDA are set to have their budgets slashed by the sequester, $450 million and $65 million respectively.
- As the CDC transitions to the role of food borne illness prevention, these cuts will make it nearly impossible for certain measures in the FSMA, which requires extra-budgetary funding, to take effect.
- Both agencies are scrambling to make ends meet, however analysts believe the food industry is fairly well self governed and shouldn't see a deterioration in safety or quality.
From the article:
Dr. Brad Tebbets, also with Globaldata’s infectious disease team, says sequestration is going to impede the recent shift –as called for in the Food Safety Modernization Act — to prevention of foodborne disease. He says allowing an increase in preventable foodborne disease will cost taxpayers more in the long-term, both fiscally and physically.
